HINTS FROM HELOISE
PRACTICAL, DEPENDABLE TIPS FOR TODAY’S BUSY CONSUMERS
Dear Heloise: For years, I’ve been using various kitchen tools to help me in the kitchen and do jobs that they weren’t originally designed for. I thought I’d share some of these with you and your readers:
■ I use a tea strainer filled with herbs and spices to flavor soups and stews. You just have to remove the strainer before serving. You can also fill a strainer with powdered sugar and use it to sprinkle powdered sugar over pastries.
■ I use an old potato masher to separate ground beef and sausage while it’s cooking.
■ I use an egg slicer to cut small, firm tomatoes, eggs and strawberries.
■ I use a milk frother to mix other small batches of things. I recently mixed whipping cream with my frother to add on top of a pudding that I made.
■ I tenderize chicken and meat by wrapping it in cling wrap, then using my metal rolling pin to pound the meat.
■ I’ve known a number of people who use a pastry slicer to blend or chop up eggs for an egg salad or to chop up potatoes to make hash browns.
■ A friend of mine gave me this
hint: Take a cast iron skillet, turn it upside down so that the flat bottom is right side up, and place it in the oven this way to cook a frozen pizza.
— Dianna F., Erie, Pennsylvania
Dear Heloise:
The other day, I needed to tighten a screw in our screen door and couldn’t find a screwdriver in the house. Finally, I used the tip of a pair of scissors, and it worked perfectly!
— Lucille W., Belle Fourche, South
Dakota
Lucille, I had the same problem
one time, and I used a dime to tighten a screw. Readers have written about using the tip of a dinner knife, a vegetable peeler and a pair of tweezers. Thanks!
— Heloise
Dear Heloise:
My family loves pulled pork sandwiches, but needless to say, it’s a lot of work.
Finally, one day, my daughter-in-law was here and told me to put my new stand mixer to use by having the beater shred the pork. I just take the standard beater, and after the pork is cooked, I place it inside of a large metal bowl. In only a few minutes, I had shredded pork! What a clever idea!
— Sharon P., Port Huron, Michigan
Dear Heloise:
My husband and I give to our church and local charities.
We look at Charity Navigator to check on a multitude of mail from those needing our money. When it’s too rainy to golf, we use that money to give to others. I also do my nails myself once in a while so I can give that money to others.